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Steamboat Springs — Good health is simple, said David Katz, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

Katz, a well-known nutritionist and researcher, will give advice on how to maintain or restore a healthy lifestyle during a free speech at Steamboat Springs High School from 7 to 8 p.m. tonight.

An associate professor at the Yale School of Public Health and director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center, Katz said his talk will focus on helping people understand why living a healthy lifestyle is a difficult task.

"I'm not going to tell them anything that will surprise them about what a healthy diet is," he said. "I will help them understand why it's so tough to do and what it will take to make it easier."

Katz said he travels around the country giving lectures because it is the best way to spread his message that healthy choices are a community concern.

"If the message is 'It takes the village,' then you have to reach the village with the message," he said.

Joan Allsberry, a certified health educator and national marketing director for Juice Plus health supplements, organized the talk.

Allsberry first heard Katz speak at a national Juice Plus convention and wanted to bring his message to Steamboat Springs.

To do that, she teamed up with a friend in Denver and enticed Katz with a stay at a local condo.

"It's an incredibly health-minded community and will be of interest to people here, so it seemed a natural fit," she said.

Katz said Colorado already is a healthy state, whether because of the outdoor activities available or state legislation, but it is not perfect.

"This state is a magnet for people who want to spend time outdoors and be healthy. And that's a good thing," he said. "But even in this bastion of robust physical activity, I see people making unhealthy choices."

Allsberry said the basics of a healthy lifestyle can begin at the grocery store, somewhere she often sees problems.

"My eyes always wander and see what people are buying, and it amazes me people are living on such processed foods," she said.

Allsberry suggested attendees bring a notepad for the hour-long talk.

"I have a feeling some of the things he says will open people's eyes," she said.

Katz also is active in the media, as a medical contributor for ABC News, nutrition columnist to O, The Oprah Magazine, and a health columnist for the New York Times Syndicate, according to his Web site.

- To reach Zach Fridell, call 871-4208 or e-mail zfridell@steamboatpilot.com